The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-06
THE HERoIsM OF REPORTERS.
Feats That Have Been Performed by
Brave Men in Seeking News.

Feats That Have Been Performed by
Brave Men in Seeking News.
The points wish to dwell upon is the he
roism that has frequently been shown by
men in search of news, said L. o. R. Meek
ms, of the Baltimore american in a recent
address at Maryland College. Not many
months ago tho Oregon was sunk. Particu-
lars were brought from the scene of disaster
by another steamer. Three reporters met
her in a tug far out in the ocean, got on
board. secured full details from eye-wit-
nesses, and started to leave. The captain
dumbfounded them by declaring that no one
should leave the steamer until it arrived in
New York. That meant delay. 1t meant
defeat A consultation was held. One of
the three was just up from serious illness.
He was ruled out The other two drew
straws. The one on whom the choice fell
quietly passed his watch and money to his
comrades and took their notes and inter
views Night had come on. The sea was
rough. They called the tug boat cstensibly
to instruct it to proceed to New York.
When it came near the reporter, to the hor-
ror of the passengers leaped over the steam
er's rail into the darkness. He had chance
of success out of a dozen probabilities of
death. He took that chance and won, but
the people who read the stirring account
the bravery that made its publication posi-
BILE. Two years ago the cholera was raging
in the south of France. Details We're lacking.
Public interest became impatient Harold
Frederick, an American newspaper man,
left his home and family, went all through
the worst districts, examined every hospital,
talked with the patients and cabled column
after column to his paper in New York, and
furnished Europe, by way of America, with
the first accurate intelligence of the cpl
demic. Several years ago a case of yellow
fever arrived off one of the Atlantic seaports.
No correct report being obtainable, repor
ter went on board the ship and interviewed
the patient. When people were flying from
Charleston after the earthquakes, the news
paper men were flying towards it. The only
business that the earthquakes did not sus-
pend there was the publication of the news
papers. During the most terrible days of
Paris Commune, historian says:
Reporters jotted down observations in
their notebooks as unconcernedly as if they
were reporting the proceedings of reform
meeting"
During the war there were hundreds of in
stances of bravery on the part of newspaper
men, They took every risk TO get news and
to put it ON the telegraph wire. They went
through all the hardships of the camp and
the sufferings of imprisonment Efforts were
made to hang six of them; but to the dis
gust of their enemies, six men lived to write
vivid accounts of six hangings that never
took place.
James J. O'Kelly was an American news
paper man before he settled in Great Britain
and became elected to Parliament He re-
ported the Cuban Instructions. He was
hand in glove with the insurgents, fought
with them, believed in them. The Spanish
government chafed under the scathing vigOr
of his relentless facts, and when the fortunes
of war threw him into their hands, he was
packed off post-haste to Madrid, to be exc
cuted as a spy. His, courage never forsook
him. In a very matter of fact way he
made arrangements to write up. the full ac-
count of his own execution, entrtIsting the
climax to a friend Castelar, saw what
kind of man he was, and pardoned him
at the last momeIlt! He WAS thankful
of course, but he had the 'audacity to re-
mark that a very good item of news had been
spoiled.
Archibald Forbes is another hero of jour
nalism. Within the last sixteen years his
life has been in jeopardy hundreds of times
He went through the Franco German war
His travels took him wherever war raised its
wrinkled front. He saw two Emperors I'M
der fire, and witnessed the surrender of
third. His services i'll the Russo Turkish
war were splendid proofs of his courage.
News came of serious indications at Schiplla
Pass. For that point he made. He arrived
in time to see the great battle. By night the
Russians had demonstrated that they could
hold their positions. Forbes saw it, His
next thought was the telegraph Office. The
nearest one was at Bucharest, 1870 miles
away He pitched at once ahead of all his
rivals. At every station he mounted a new
horse, but was off in an instant One bite
of black bread was all he ate in over twenty
four hours. Every moment was precious,
and he made the most Of the time. He ar
rived at the office, his matter went singing
over the wires, and the world was electrified
by the greatest newspaper special known in
the history of journalism.
This ride made Forbes famous. The Great
White Gar of Russia sent for him They
had long talk At the end of the CONVEX
sation the Gar paid the highest tribute to
the correspondents pluck that words could
express.
"Mr Forbes" he said in conclusion, 81
have had reported to me the example which
you showed when with our forces ON the sad
day before Plevna. in succoring wounded
men under heavy fire. As the head of the
State, desire to testify how Russia honors
your conduct by Offering you the Order of
the StanislauS with the crossed swords
decoration never conferred except for per-
sonal bravery"
And now we come to another American
who should be eflSnrlIed as one or the he
roes of the century. His name is j. A. Mac
Gahan Like many other great men, he was
from Ohio. He went to Europe to complete
collegiate studies. The Franco-Prrlssion war
broke out he entered the field as a correspon-
dent. He did good work, and when the war
closed he was in journalism for life. He Wis
tied Siberia and described its life Infor-
nation reached him that Gen. Kaufman and
the Grand Duke Nicholas were about to
make an assault on Khiva. 1t was Russia's
boldest move towards India. He deter
mined to witness it, He hurried South, but
missed the moving column Then he pre-
pared for what proved to be one of the most
daring rides ever made by man. 1t was a
journey of 600 miles through silent desola-
ton, with 300 miles of desert. Many times
he lost his way. Several times he and
his men were Frustrated by the heat and
thrown upon the sand, only TO be revived
by the coming of the night. But despite
the loss of horses, despite the daily rebel
lion of his attendants, despite frequent ex-
haustion and semi-starvation for nearly two
months. he pushed through the arid wastes.
All through that region he was called Mo
lodyety"--a brave fellow.
After he had started, the Russians wanted
him back. twenty-five Cossacks, splendid
horsemen, were dispatched TO overtake him.
For nearly 600 miles they chased him across
that terrible country, but when they arrived
at a halting place they always found that
Macf iahan had left il a few hours before